Omer Balva: Killed In Action

A lone soldier, Omer Balva, a 22-year-old Staff Sergeant in the Israeli army reserves, was on vacation in Rockville, Maryland, his hometown, when Hamas launched its bloody onslaught. Omer, the child of Israeli parents who lived in the United States for decades, recently finished a stint in the IDF and was among the 360,000 reservists called up as Israel mobilized to defend itself.

Omer Balva

Omer had been staying with his parents Sigal and Eyal, who divided their time between their home in Israel and apartment in Rockville. Even during one of Israel’s most challenging times, it was clear to Omer that he had to join his comrades in the army.

Ethan Missner, his best friend from Hebrew day school and high school, went to Maryland to spend time together before Omer flew back to Israel. They hung out at the Balvas, where Omer’s girlfriend cooked supper. They went shopping for Omer’s reserve unit. Ethan’s father, Jon had given them his credit card and told them to buy whatever was needed. They spent time packing the supplies for his IDF unit, as well as Omer’s personal belongings. Unusual for them, they also put on tefillin, phylacteries, which are typically worn by Jewish men during weekday morning prayers.

Omer and Ethan

He arrived in Israel on Sunday, October 15th, and was deployed to the northern border by Tuesday. Omer was a platoon commander in the 9203 battalion of the Alexandroni Brigade, an elite infantry brigade comprised entirely of Golani reserves soldiers.

That Friday, Omer was killed by an anti-tank missile attack, fired from Lebanon, as part of the clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. Two other reservists suffered moderate injuries in the attack, while another had minor injuries.

Omer was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Rockville, Maryland where he attended the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School from the age of seven through high school. A post from his school stated, “Omer was an unabashed advocate for the State of Israel. He is a hero to the State of Israel, the Jewish people, and the school. We are devastated and heartbroken.”

During his high school days there was a post, “Omer Balva sees his future in Israel and, for the love of his Jewish homeland wants to serve in the IDF alongside his peers. He is looking forward to living in Israel for the first time ever and having members of his family so close by.”

In a class presentation in 11^th grade, Omer detailed his family’s ties to Israel. His father’s family had been expelled from Spain during the Inquisition and has lived in the land since. His grandmother survived a 1938 massacre of Jews in her native Tiberias by being hidden between two mattresses. His parents moved to the U.S. in 1996, and the family spoke only Hebrew at home.

He and Lily, his close friend since kindergarten, were among six students in their 2019 class who joined the IDF upon graduation. Lily described him as a loving and caring person who could be humorous and still serious. “Everywhere he went, he was really loved.” The two moved to Israel and were neighbors in the same kibbutz for a time. Lily said that they became family.

While training for the IDF, Omer was always supportive of everyone in his group. “He always picked the group up,” Lily said, recalling a time when she was running slowly behind the others and Omer pulled her along. “We had this mutual understanding that we were there for each other. I just felt safer.” It wasn’t just Lily that he looked out for. “He really took the time to take care of his soldiers,” Lily explained.

His best friend Ethan described Omer. “He was such a loving person. He brought a lot of light to the world. He was the sweetest kid ever.”

Omer and Ethan at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville

Omer had been a student in economics and business administration at the Raphael Recanti International School in Herzliya. He had planned to marry his girlfriend of more than four years.

His funeral took place at the military cemetery in Herzliya. Several members of his family spoke, including two of his three siblings. He is survived by his parents and his three siblings, Barak, Shahar and Itai.

The Jewish nation has tragically lost a special young man.